Have you ever wondered what it would be like to learn how to repair an airplane? It might sound like a dream, but at Chicago Vocational High School, that was a reality. This massive building, right before your eyes, has seen it all. Chicago Vocational High School, or as it’s known locally, CVS, was built in 1941 and originally housed a 1940 all-male class of 850. But the world was on the brink of World War II, and the school was quickly transformed. The US Navy took over, turning the school into a training ground for aviation mechanics who would keep our planes flying. CVS was at the heart of the war effort, with students working around the clock to build and repair aircraft. The school was a whirlwind of activity, with lessons running 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It’s hard to imagine what it must have been like to learn alongside those fighting for our country. The school eventually returned to its civic purpose, but it continued to offer aviation maintenance classes until 1995. And get this: in 1948, students at CVS actually restored a Stinson Reliant monoplane to flying condition. They wheeled it out onto Anthony Avenue, used the street as a runway, and flew it to Midway Airport! Crazy, right? The airplane hangar you see there is a remnant of those days. Chicago Vocational High School is more than a school; it’s a living monument to a unique chapter in Chicago’s past. It stands today as a testament to the school’s role in shaping generations of students and its commitment to preparing them for the future.
Congregation Or Torah
Rabbi Zvi Engel’s leadership guides Congregation Or Torah. This impressive Modern Orthodox Synagogue stands proudly in Skokie Illinois. It’s one